After the worldwide success of The World Book of Happiness, editor in chief Leo Bormans has spent two years studying the international scientific research on love. He succeeded in engaging the most brilliant scientists and unexpected newcomers to describe in their own words what we finally know about love. They explain the system and unveil the mystery. Their words will probably hit you like Cupid’s arrows. But remember, Cupid is the son of the gods Venus (love) and Mars (war). His arrows are dipped in both sweetness and conflict, in both harmony and misunderstanding.Meet yourself and the ones you love in the mirror and the window of this book.

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Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo

— ma 22/04/2013

Last week “The World Book of Love” was launched in Brussels and Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo invited me for lunch. He was so taken with the book that he immediately decided to give it as a present to all his ministers. “More love in the world can only be a good thing,” he said. In a previous existence Di Rupo organised the “Film Festival of Love” in his home city of Mons.
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About the book

The World Book of Love. The secret of love.

If we were to erase the word ‘love’, 90 % of books, films, magazines and songs would disappear.

We are searching for it in our houses, on the streets and on the internet. In the morning and at night. Google offers in a single second 8,930,000,000 results for our quest on ‘love’. That’s more than double what we find for ‘sex’. And still, a deadly silence follows when you ask people to express something worthwhile, crucial and essential about the concept of love.

Though cultural differences occur, love itself has always existed. It is universal and can take many forms. It is an extremely powerful emotional state. But we all know: the fire doesn’t burn forever. Up until recently the topic was not allowed to be studied at universities. (“Why should we spend money on researching something stupid like love ?”) Times have changed. Worldwide, thousands of sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, therapists and sexologists are studying interpersonal relationships and the how and why of romantic love. Their research brings us closer to the heart of humankind.

The World Book of Love

Research into the heart of humankind

More than one hundred of the best researchers from nearly fifty different countries share in this book what we know about love. They talk to us about attachment, passion and commitment, about jealousy, abuse and pressure, from Darwin to science fiction, from hidden secrets to open sex. They explain the system and unveil the mystery.

In a global and rapidly changing world, we can all learn from each other. From the Far East to the Americas and from Europe to Africa. Parental love, animals, marriage and divorce, teenage love and caring for the elderly. The world of love is full of wonder and surprise, pain and tears, despair and hope. Meet yourself and the ones you love in the mirror and the window of this book.

After the worldwide success of The World Book of Happiness, which was presented by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy as a New Year’s gift to all leaders of the world, I have spent two years studying the international scientific research into love.

We succeeded in engaging the most brilliant scientists and unexpected newcomers to describe in their own words what we ultimately know about love. Each was given a maximum of 1000 words to convey their message to you and the world. They are convinced we can learn to be better mates, friends, parents and lovers. Their insights are founded on research-based knowledge and enable a cross-fertilisation of ideas within a global vision on universal love. They succeeded in transforming information into knowledge, and knowledge into wisdom. I thank them all from the bottom of my heart and I hope that this book, in one way or another, will contribute to more love and to a more lovable world. Their words will probably hit you like Cupid’s arrows. But remember, Cupid is the son of the gods Venus (love) and Mars (war). His arrows are dipped in both sweetness and conflict, in both harmony and misunderstanding.

“We express love and communion by connecting our bodies.”

About the author

Leo Bormans is global Ambassador of Happiness & Quality of Life. He is a writer and an inspirator. He has a master in languages and philosophy and is the author of the international bestsellers “The World Book of Happiness” and “The World Book of Love”.

“The World Book of Happiness” has been sent by European Chairman Herman Van Rompuy to all leaders of the world (including Barack Obama) as a special New Year’s gift in 2012. Kofi Annan received a copy while he addressed, together with Leo Bormans, the international youth conference Hope XXL, which has been inspired by the book.

In 2013 “The World Book of Love” has been offered by the Prime Minister of Belgium, Elio Di Rupo, to all the ministers of his government as a symbol for a warmer society.

Leo Bormans

Leo Bormans is living in Belgium. He has been working for more than 20 years for the government on active citizenship, empowerment, communication, positive education and positive journalism. He has worked for Unesco and has been for several years a board member of the Foundation of her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde in Brussels.

His initiatives on active citizenship and positive communication have inspired lots of organizations and policy-makers. He supports the international movement for Happiness and Quality of Life and is ambassador of different organizations in East and West (including Richard Layard’s Action for Happiness at the London School of Economics and the idea of Gross National Happiness of the government of Bhutan).

He is a successful motivational speaker and advisor of governments, managers, universities, social workers, teachers, organizations etc. all over the world. He is giving workshops and lectures for small groups and broad audiences on Happiness and Quality of Life. He has organized different international conferences with the contribution of experts in the field of positive psychology, including Lord Richard Layard (UK), Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener (USA), Prof. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (USA) and Prof. Samuel Ho (China). Leo Bormans has been invited from Malta to Bangkok, from Slovenia to Scandinavia, and is an appreciated keynote speaker at international conferences (including the World Conference Appreciative Inquiry 2012 and the European Congress of Positive Psychology 2012).

He pays special attention to happiness and well-being of all humans, not only “the happy few”. That’s why he is involved in specialized workshops for specific groups (drug addicts, students, teacher training, young people in problems, older people, mental health etc.). He organizes happiness interventions on broad scales (e.g. in cooperation with all doctors in Belgium, health care organizations and managers). For the moment he prepares two new publications: “Happiness at Work” and “Happiness in Relationships”.

Recently he got a lot of media-attention in Belgium because he succeeded to make a popular tv-talkshow completely silent during two full minutes. To prove the impact of silence as “quality attention”.

On the first “International Happiness Day” (March 20, 2013) he organized a huge event in Brussels in cooperation with the United Nations and the Embassy of Bhutan. More than 500 people (among them 14 ambassadors of different countries) took part in this highly appreciated event.

In 2013 “The World Book of Love” is launched. In this unique volume 100 experts from 50 countries share what we know about the most creative force in human life: love. It is first published in Dutch (April 2013), afterward in English, German, French etc (September 2013). On September 25 the “International Conference on Love” will take place in Brussels.

International Editions

Dear publisher,

Do you know that positive feeling that you sometimes have as a publisher, when you create a book you fully believe in? A book that tens of thousands of readers love, a book that even influences social debate through its main themes? Well, that was the feeling we had when The World Book of Love was published. We succeeded in engaging the most brilliant scientists and unexpected newcomers to describe in their own words what they ultimately know about love and encouraged them to share their conclusions with the general public.

We are convinced that the The World Book of Love can also be an interesting publication for you – and one that will bring you joy for many years to come.

Maarten van Steenbergen, Director Publisher general non-fiction

A record of worldwide scientific research on love

German and French rights sold

Full of practical advice

Science presented in an appealing, accessible manner

More than 200,000 copies sold worldwide of The World Book of Happiness

The World Book of Happiness was translated in 7 languages (English, German, French, Korean, Slovenian, Japanese and Taiwanese)